COUNTY NEWS: Vet issues appeal after puppy is found abandoned

A veterinary clinic has called for people to properly research what being a pet owner involves after a ten week old Jack Russell/Chihuahua was found abandoned yesterday.

AlphaPet, which has three clinics covering Chichester and Bognor, said the unnamed puppy was in a ‘terrible condition’ after being discovered out in the cold by a member of the public.

Abandoned puppy found in Bognor. Pic: AlphaPet

“At this stage we are just focusing on getting him back to health,” said veterinary nurse Andrea Hogg. “It is touch and go but he has come on leaps and bounds overnight. We are hopeful he will pull through.

“He had probably never been shown love before.”

The puppy is not micro chipped and was described by the vets, on arriving at the clinic in West Meads, as being ‘horribly thin, severely dehydrated’ with ulcerated paws, very cold and with ‘dangerously low’ blood sugar.

An update on the AlphaPet Facebook page, which also features a video, said ‘encouragingly, by this afternoon, his temperature and his blood glucose have come up and he’s eaten a whole bowl of high energy food’.

Abandoned puppy found in Bognor. Pic: AlphaPet

The timing of the arrival coincides with the start of April’s national pet month, something Andrea is keen to highlight.

“We will be promoting responsible ownership,” she said. “Before you take on a puppy research what it is going to need, it is a big responsibilty. People take them on without realising the costs and time involved – it is such a shame when you see such a poorly animal came in.”

Anyone who might know where the puppy came from is asked to contact AlphaPet, 01243 842832.

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